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I'm going to be tying some elastic cord (the kind that's about 2 mm thick) into circles about 6 inches in diameter.

The circles will be subject to a fair amount of stretching, but nothing excessive.

Is there a certain knot and/or glue combination I can use to accomplish this?

My limitations are that I need to be able to fit up to 3 of these knots inside of a straw.

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  • Do you know what the cord is made of? Perhaps melting it together would be an option?
    – Matt
    Aug 29, 2016 at 1:39
  • @Matt It's standard elastic cord. Like this. No idea if it's meltable like paracord.
    – user24
    Aug 29, 2016 at 1:50

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Fisherman's knot

This is what I would use if you are looking for a pure knot solution. One of the easiest ones to use as well since it is just two overhands knots.

Fisherman's knot

Image from Wikipedia

Basically lay the ends of the elastic along side each other. Then take one end and tie an overhand knot around the other end. Then do the same with the other loose end. (Describing how to tie knots is a hard venture). Once both knots are tied you can pull the elastic away from the knots and that will pull them tight.

Consider fusing

This really depends on the material the cord is made out of but this works for certain ropes. Use something simple like a lighter (some people use heat guns) to melt the elastic ends together. Assuming that material allows this, fusing after you put the cord in a knot will help create a stronger bond. you do have to be careful not to overheat the cord as that can damage it or if nothing else reduce its longevity. Might not be worth it for the project you describe.

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  • Always willing to play with fire. I'll try it once the product actually gets in my hands
    – user24
    Aug 29, 2016 at 15:48
  • I tried looking up a couple of generics to see if I could get the material used but most just state: "Elastic cord". Only things like bungee cords have material composition listed. Not sure if that is useful. I would try "melting" assuming the material melts. I'm sure you know but do it somewhere with good air circulation!
    – Matt
    Aug 29, 2016 at 15:51
  • Many of them are rubber inside, so while the outer will fuse with heat the inner won't. I wonder about bike inner tube glue, probably combined with overlapping some of the strands so the joint is in shear rather than tension.
    – Chris H
    Sep 1, 2016 at 8:21
  • If the single fishermans knot it not doing the work, (the one in the picture) you can use a double one. This is winding the string round twice before tucking it. (Google will get you pictures.) It will make the knot a tiny bit more bulky but not much. It is likely more reliable than fusing or gluing rubber elastic.
    – Willeke
    Dec 23, 2016 at 19:25
  • A double fishermans knot is also a good one...
    – Chris Catignani
    May 21, 2021 at 0:45

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